August 1, 1943 was a proud day for the workers of Victory Aircraft
and indeed for all Canadians as the first Canadian-built Lancaster rolled off the assembly line.

Roll Out of KB-700.

A workforce of ten thousand completed 430 Mk X's during the war, most of which were assigned to the squadrons of No. 6 Group, the Canadian component of Bomber Command. With much fanfare the aircraft was flown to England by S/L Reg Lane DSO DFC, who had completed two tours of operations and was one of the war's most decorated Canadians at the time (Lt. Gen. Lane was guest speaker at the museum's official opening in 1992).

The "Ruhr Express" flew two operations with No. 405 Squadron before completing its service with No. 419 "Moose" Squadron. On January 2, 1945 KB-700, the first Canadian built Lancaster, experienced hydraulic problems while attempting to land following a raid to Nuremberg, its 49th operation. The flaps would not deploy properly and, after overshooting the runway, the aircraft ended up in a farmer's field where it collided with a trench digger. Amid exploding ammunition the crew escaped but fire destroyed the aircraft. The loss was particularly sad, especially when viewed over fifty-five years later, because the plans were to fly the "Ruhr Express" back to Canada following its fiftieth operation, for a triumphant return and to become a memorial to the Canadians who built and flew Lancasters. So ended the first plans for a Lancaster to be placed on display in a Canadian museum.

After the crash.

Al McMillan, the navigator on KB-700's final flight, is a member of the Society
and has donated the "navigator's watch" which he was wearing on the bomber's final flight.